I've decided to sell a car (the one i have for fun and never drive) and replace it straight-up with a new mtb bike. Budget is ~4500. yeah!
I'm leaning towards Turner Flux or Ellsworth Truth, looks like it's hard to go wrong. most of the trails here in N Texas are fairly mild but choppy, lots of rock gardens, but no huge "hits" or anything crazy. Lots of tight swoopy singletrack, and i think one of these do-it-all choices will be perfect.
Any other suggestions for a kickass, usa-made fs that can be built ~25lb? and yes, in this case i'm willin to pay some for snob appeal... this'll be my first (ever) top-of-the-line anything i've ever bought, and i plan to keep it a good long time.
cheers

__________________
"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, "WOW, What a Ride!" - unknown
"Your Bike Sucks" - Sky Yaeger

Seriously though, I love mine. I wish I could tell you some negatives about it but I really can't think of any. It rides like a dream, climbs better than anything I have ever ridden and descends just as well.

The Flux may be just as nice but I'm not willing to spend the money to find out. Now if it was a 2005 Flux I wouldn't hesitate. I'm just not convinced about the TNT design for 2006. It may be the greatest thing out there, I just don't have any experience with it.

Now with that said. I would love to have a Turner Nitrous for my race bike. Unfortunately that thing is so light and delicate it is pretty much race only.

Now with that said. I would love to have a Turner Nitrous for my race bike. Unfortunately that thing is so light and delicate it is pretty much race only.

Very nice ride! it's on my short list....

I have been dreaming of the Nitrous as well!! what a sweet ride! The suggested weight limit on that bike is 165# i believe. I'm at about 180#, but i like to think i "ride light"... always have, my fully-rigid days trained it into me in the interests of wheel preservation and pinch-flat avoidance. So i am seriously tempeted to go Nitrous - i could stand to loose a few poundage anyway!

I've been riding a 3# alum. "race" hardtail since '99 with no issues, pounding it over rocks for the last 7 years - i figure since i ride gently, then even a light "delicate" suspended bike, with a shock to take a lot of the stres, should definitly be OK. but i may be rationalizing....

i figure i could get the Nitrous, take care of it, and if i ended up destroying it....

I have been dreaming of the Nitrous as well!! what a sweet ride! The suggested weight limit on that bike is 165# i believe. I'm at about 180#, but i like to think i "ride light"... always have, my fully-rigid days trained it into me in the interests of wheel preservation and pinch-flat avoidance. So i am seriously tempeted to go Nitrous - i could stand to loose a few poundage anyway!

I've been riding a 3# alum. "race" hardtail since '99 with no issues, pounding it over rocks for the last 7 years - i figure since i ride gently, then even a light "delicate" suspended bike, with a shock to take a lot of the stres, should definitly be OK. but i may be rationalizing....

i figure i could get the Nitrous, take care of it, and if i ended up destroying it....

well, then i'd know!

Thanks, I'm very happy with it. Raced it again yesterday and it performed flawlessly.

As for the Nitrous I wouldn't even consider it for a daily rider even if you do right "light". It just isn't designed for that purpose.

thanks for mentioning Titus, i'd never given them much thought but started doing some reading, and they look pretty convincing.
I thought of the Ti hardtail route but, after riding fs the last couple months, will never be going back to ht. The cheap fs bike i bought as an experiment is more fun than the fancy ht i've been on for years. plus, who knows what bikes will be like in 30 years... 2 wheel drive? all inernally geared? made out of reinforced paper-meche? i figure 5 to 10 years is about the reasonable lifetime.